‘REBUILDING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER’ Marcus Robinson’s Poignant Film Chronicles 8 Years of Construction and Earns Whom You Know's Highest Recommendation; Premieres Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 6 p.m. on History Our Coverage Sponsored by Stribling and Associates
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Last week we were honored to cover an event at 4 World Trade Center that celebrated the film "Rebuilding the World Trade Center" and we met Marcus Robinson. We believe the BAFTA he earned that was presented to him that night is only one of many deserving awards to come for his illustrious, inspiring, touching work in a documentary that could not be more uplifting for not only America, but also the world.
"Rebuilding the World Trade Center" is the absolute last word on insider stories as to how this was built, literally! Whom You Know has always been about getting insider stories right from the direct source in charge, and in this case, Marcus has done the work for us. All we had to do is watch! The level of inspiration found in this film is commensurate and probably even supersedes that of the film of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team. Since we believed in Miracles already, we believed in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center.
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Welcome to the buildings of all buildings.
One World Trade Center is 1,776 feet, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
Four World Trade Center is nearly 1,000 feet.
The memorial pools are the largest manmade waterfalls in North America.
The transportation center entrance is so big you could fit all of Grand Central Station in it, and the the design concept is inspired by the hand of a child releasing a dove.
The World Trade Center site quite literally dwarfs every other project in existence in stature, architecture, design and concept, however, the physical is not the most massive aspect, unbelievably.
It is the meaning behind this film that could not be greater.
The first time we watched it, it brought tears to our eyes. The second time we watched it, we were looking for how to relate it to how we experienced 4 World Trade and the people at the event. The third time we watched it, Peachy took notes. We have watched and you should listen: this is one of the most incredible films made, and Marcus has shown us that the History Channel airs amazing documentaries! Four of the world's tallest buildings are in this spot, and two are complete. Two more are to be built. We also look forward to seeing what is done next by both the builders and by Marcus!
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"Rebuilding the World Trade Center" not only contains photography and video footage from 13 cameras located all around the site since 2006 that snap a shot every 30 minutes, but also contains Marcus's paintings, which capture another dynamic of the humanity. This brilliant combination is well-thought out and could not have been executed better. Over 2,000 days of filming are included. The epic architecture and design are eclipsed only by the poignant stories told that will be transformed into pride through this building process, because at the end of the day, America is winning.
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Marcus is not a surface person, he goes to the heart of the matter in the stories on the people and when it comes to the ground itself, he quite literally goes to the rock formation. This is really incredible for everyone to see since Manhattan is built on top of itself, getting to the depths reached at this site and therefore in this film is an education in itself. For anyone that played in a sandbox, this is that aggregated, multiplied and figuratively on steriods.
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Through watching this, we developed a great admiration and deep respect for Larry Silverstein, who might seem like a bit like the Wizard of Oz to you before you watch this film and hear what he has to say. He has ignored the naysayers, and Larry Silverstein has a golden philosophy and desire to follow through, and his hard work and dedication towards reaching the goal of completion is inspiring.
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The work that everyone involved in construction executes is monumental, to say the least. And the footage of them doing it in the depth of winter, on fantastically windy days, working around higher and higher floor after floor is absolutely daunting. But they did it. Many of them had childhood dreams of growing up to do something like this, and reaching that dream is another rewarding aspect of this film. There is no other way to have a true appreciation for what they did other than to watch Marcus's film.
The pressure is incredible.
The vocation is the one of a lifetime.
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You feel as if you get to know the people involved, since Marcus is such an excellent interviewer and has developed key relationships, which get him the best stories of course.
"Rebuilding the World Trade Center" captures comradery at its best. We got a tremendous kick out of the orchestrator Keith Brown, who would be just as comfortable on a trading floor and he reminded us of the Human Piranha from Liar's Poker (a huge compliment, coming from us. A lawyer that worked in an office with Peachy when she was 16 said she was like that too so she worked on a trading floor afterwards.)
The team of the joker (Tommy Hickey) and the serious one (Mike O'Reilly) is fun to watch, and we were delighted to meet them along with the well-spoken Kevin Murphy at the event, among others. Many of these workers would also find success in circus work because walking a tightrope is probably the minor leagues compared to what they do here.
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The music choice in the background is the right heartbeat to the story told.
At the site, it seems as if the noise is deafening.
A word to all of the restaurants we work with - if you think your inspectors are tough, guess what it is like here!
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What we especially liked in this film was the contribution of the women workers! Estelle St. Clair has tools that Barbie would envy! We like her comment, "Anytime I look at this sky, it's just joy."
The physical demands of the work on anyone, male or female, we have a lot of respect for and are sure their families and friends are tremendously proud of them and the work they've done, and will continue to feel that in years to come.
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The list of workers that are second generation in this industry is notable, and some of them include:
Chris Bernard
Danny Connelly
Greg Franzese
Tommy Hickey
Joe "Flo" McCumber
Karen Mulligan
Mike O'Reilly
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Did you know Marcus is so committed to authenticity that he uses the same paint that the surveyors use?
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Without a doubt, the best part of the film is the conclusion with the tower, when the building is beautiful and the facade is complete. That cookout must have tasted amazing from that view including almost the curvature of the earth with the job mainly complete!
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REBUILDING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER has earned Whom You Know's Highest Recommendation.
REBUILDING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, Marcus Robinson’s inspiring documentary chronicling the reconstruction of the World Trade Center and restoration of the New York City skyline, premieres Thursday, September 11, at 6 p.m. ET/PT on HISTORY. The two-hour special – eight years in the making, from laying of the first foundation to triumphantly topping the gleaming new 104-story One World Trade Center with its spire – focuses on the construction workers who performed the Herculean task. They were the men and women who did the heavy lifting once the dream to rebuild was set into motion on the 16-acre site that witnessed the worst terrorist attack on American soil.
Robinson, an Irish artist and filmmaker renowned for architectural and industrial photography, arrived on the site in 2006, five years after the original World Trade Center was destroyed in the September 11 attacks. He placed 13 cameras throughout the site to document eight years of progress with stunning time-lapse imagery, and shadowed workers every step of the way as they turned a pile of ashes into a towering testament to imagination and resilience.
REBUILDING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER not only captures the lyrical beauty of the city’s new architectural gems, but also shares poignant personal stories from the unsung heroes of the project – the iron workers, crane operators, carpenters and surveyors, many of whom are second-generation construction workers whose parents and grandparents helped put up the original World Trade Center. For them, this was more than just another construction site, more than just another complex of buildings, more than just another job. They were on “sacred ground” and this was an opportunity to give the city and the entire country closure.
REBUILDING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER is filmed, produced and directed by Marcus Robinson. It is produced by Lion Television LLC, an All3 Media Group Company, for HISTORY. Executive producers for HISTORY are Susan Werbe, Molly Thompson and Dirk Hoogstra. Executive producer is Nick Catliff.
About HISTORY®
HISTORY®, now reaching more than 98 million homes, is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network’s all-original programming slate, including scripted event programming, features a roster of hit series including American Pickers®, American Restoration™, Ax Men™, Counting Cars™, Pawn Stars®, Swamp People® as well as HISTORY®’s first scripted series Vikings, and epic miniseries and special programming such as The Bible and The World Wars and the Emmy® Award-winning Hatfields & McCoys, Men Who Built America, Gettysburg, Vietnam in HD, America The Story of Us® and 102 Minutes That Changed America. The HISTORY® website is the leading online resource for all things history, and in 2011, the United States Library of Congress selected HISTORY®’s Civil War 150 site for inclusion in the historic collection of Internet materials related to the American Civil War sesquicentennial.www.history.com
